The South of Seoul K-drama for May is a popular one. “Reply 1988” was highly popular when it aired in South Korea and internationally on streaming platforms. The drama is known for the realistic portrayal of life in the 1980s. It was praised for being relatable and having heartwarming storylines. Let’s dig into this K-drama and expand your social knowledge.
Breaking Down The Cultural Knowledge
When you watch a K-drama while living in Korea or planing to live in Korea, you may want to go deeper than just the show. In order to fully understand the context of entertainment and the world around you, plan on looking at not only experiencing the movie plot, but also at learning about the actors, music, and cultural conversation.
Let’s dig into June’s K-drama, “Reply 1988.”
About “Reply 1988”
“Reply 1988” is a drama that premiered on tvN, a South Korean cable television network, on November 6, 2015. Although, “Reply 1988” is not based on any specific novel or true story, it is a part of the “Reply” series created by tvN. The “Reply” series also includes “Reply 1997” and “Reply 1994.”
Set in the Ssangmun-dong neighborhood of Seoul in 1988, the drama focuses on high school students, Deok-sun, Jung-hwan, Sun-woo, and Dong-ryong. “Reply 1988” follows the lives of the main characters as they grow up together. As the series progresses, the characters face many challenges and obstacles, including family conflict, societal pressures, school pressures, first loves, and career aspirations.
About the Drama’s Success
“Reply 1988” was written by Lee Woo-jung, a South Korean screenwriter and television producer. She is well-known for work on the K-dramas, “Hospital Playlist” and “Prison Playbook” and the “Reply” series. Also, the drama features popular actors and actresses, including Lee Hye-ri, Park Bo-gum, Ryu Jun-yeol, and Go Kyung-pyo.
The drama was a huge success in Korea and internationally. In fact, “Reply 1988” broke numerous records during its broadcast. This makes it one of the highest-rated cable dramas of all time. It also received many nominations and critical acclaim. In addition, they won several awards, including Best Director, Best New Actor at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards.
About the Drama’s Themes
“Reply 1988” deals with many themes including family, friendship, and love. The drama explores the lives of ordinary people in 1980 living in a working-class neighborhood. Since family is a central theme of this drama, it explores the bonds and sacrifices that family members make for each other. In addition, the drama explores the different challenges of each family and how they navigate life.
Set in 1988, this drama also transports viewers back to that time with a sense of warmth and nostalgia. The drama uses retro music, fashion and cultural references to evoke a longing for simpler times. Overall, “Reply 1988” offers a heartwarming look at the lives of ordinary people.
The Music of “Reply 1988”
Whenever a new, popular K-drama hits the screen you hear the music everywhere. Take the time to become familiar with the tracklist and maybe even memorize one for the norae-bang. This will make you an absolute superstar at social gatherings. The following YouTube video provides English translations and Romanization so that you can learn the songs for “Reply 1988.”
Additionally, being able to sing the chorus when you hear the songs in the streets or be able to casually say to a new friend, “Oh, isn’t this the theme song for Reply 1988?” creates a wonderful feeling of connectedness to the world around you.
Behind-the-Scenes Footage of “Reply 1988”
After watching the K-drama and becoming familiar with the songs, it’s time to learn more about the cast. Watching the cast in behind-the-scenes footage or interviews can help you recognize the actors and actresses in new dramas or advertisements nationwide. Therefore, knowing about the cast enables you to create a language for understanding the visual world around you. Also, it is fun to watch behind-the-scenes footage and interviews where you can see glimpses of the creation of the drama and the interactions of the actors/actresses on set.
The Food of “Reply 1988”
“Reply 1988” featured many scenes of families and friends enjoying meals together, showing the importance of food and communal dining in South Korean culture. When watching K-dramas, seeing the foods represented in the show is fun. This drama shows several popular dishes and snacks, including tteokbokki, sundae, kimchi, jajangmyeon, samgyetang, mandu, and ramyun. In our series A Year to Learn Korean Cooking, we have covered some of these recipes (specifically jajangmyeon and samgyetang) if you want to try your hand at making the dishes at home.
Catch Up on Show Related Gossip
Now that you have watched the show, listened to the music, and learned about the actors, it’s time to learn the tea. With the relationships portrayed on the drama, were there any real-life romances?
2023 K-Drama 101 Recommendations
You can find more popular K-Drama recommendations on the K-Drama 101 recommendations list for 2023. Each month in 2023, we will dig into each of our K-Drama recommendations to give you in-depth information about the series.
2023 K-Drama Reviews
Did you like this drama review? Catch up on the other South of Seoul Dramas reviewed and recommend in 2023.
Additional Drama Related Blogs
If you find yourself falling in love with dramas like so many before you, you may also enjoy these other South of Seoul Blogs:
Lanae Rivers-Woods moved to Korea in 2011 where she lives in the countryside with her family, friends, and puppies. She holds a BSSW (Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work), a MAIT (Master’s of Arts in International Teaching), and registered by the Pyeongtaek Korean Times with the Korean government as a Cultural Expert.
Ms. Rivers-Woods used her 15 years experience as a social architect, UX/UI designer, and technology consultant to found South of Seoul in 2015. South of Seoul is a volunteer organization that leverages technological tools to mitigate cultural dissonance in multi-cultural communities.
Through South of Seoul, Ms. Rivers-Woods works with independent volunteers, non-profit organizations, businesses, local & federal government, universities, and US military organizations to develop solutions to support English speaking international residents in rural South Korea.
Additionally, Ms. Rivers-Woods founded the South of Seoul smart phone app available for Google Play and iPhone. The app provides information a resources for those living and traveling in South Korea.
When she isn’t in South of Seoul development meetings or working her day job, Ms. Rivers-Woods loves to be outside at skate parks, the beach, or playing in the mountains.
